Ukraine's underground storage facilities are currently using 19.4% of their capacity. Almost 32%, or 2.79 bcm, less gas is available in the storages than in the previous year, according to the estimates.
The majority of Ukrainians, 71%, do not support holding elections before a full peace deal, even in the case of a ceasefire and security guarantees, according to a poll published by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) on May 14.
"He'd like me to be there, and that's a possibility. ... I don't know that he would be there if I'm not there. We're going to find out," U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One while traveling to Qatar, Reuters reported.
Trump has long demanded that NATO allies increase their military spending, previously calling for the alliance to raise its benchmark from 2% to 5% of GDP.
More than 1,000 Russian government entities and 1,200 private companies are involved in the economy of occupied Mariupol, a major southeastern city occupied by Russia after it invaded Ukraine in 2022, according to a research paper published on May 14.
The measures target almost 200 ships of Russia's "shadow fleet," 30 companies involved in sanctions evasion, 75 sanctions on entities and individuals linked to the Russian military-industrial complex, and more.
The government has approved "reform roadmaps in the rule of law, public administration, and democratic institutions, as well as Ukraine’s negotiation position," Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.
The statement did not name the ex-official by name, but details of the case indicate it relates to Oleh Hladkovsky, a former deputy secretary of Ukraine's top security body who has been wanted since mid-April.
Brazilian President Lula da Silva claimed that Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha had appealed to his Brazilian counterpart, Mauro Vieira, to ask Putin if he was willing to conclude a peace agreement.
"Trump needs to believe that Putin actually lies," Zelensky told journalists in Kyiv. "And we should do our part. Sensibly approach this issue, to show that it’s not us that is slowing down the process."
Photo for illustrative purposes. Air defense at work in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy Oblast in the evening of Jan. 17, 2024. (Sumy Oblast Military Administration/Telegram)
Russia used a significant number of so-called "distracting drones" designed to probe air defenses rather than destroy targets in its mass attack on Ukraine on July 31, said Andrii Yusov, Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) spokesperson.
Moscow launched a total of all 89 Shahed-type attack drones and one Kh-59 missile at Ukraine in the attack, all of which were shot down, the Air Force said. It was the most extensive drone attack on Kyiv in 2024 with over 40 drones destroyed in the city's airspace and nearby areas, the local authorities reported.
According to Yusov, the "distracting drones" do not have an explosive part.
"(Russia's) goal is to exhaust and explore air defense systems. This is not a new tactic, either. Ukraine's security and defense forces have been practicing and effectively countering such challenges," he added.
In the meantime, Vladyslav Vlasiuk, an adviser to the presidential office's head, said that Russian troops used a new type of drones — Gerbera — in limited numbers in the attack.
Drones have been a key tool in Ukraine's defense against Russia's war. Kyiv has the production capacity to produce more than 3 million drones a year, but requires financing from foreign partners, Deputy Strategic Industries Minister Hanna Hvozdiar said.
Moscow is now launching a new type of cheaply-made drone to identify air defense systems and act as decoys, Andrii Cherniak, a spokesperson of Ukraine's military intelligence, said earlier in July.
Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years, covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.
Kateryna Denisova
